Race
by NoteEmmy
Summary: Malik out for a test drive with Ryou catches a mysterious driver in black at a stoplight. When challenged to a race he can't seem to say no. COMPLETE


Long slender fingers traced around the sleek body of a very expensive motorcycle. A rush of excitement welled at the base of Kaiba's spine before wrapping around and settling deep in his belly. He'd come home to the mansion to work on some very personal accounting matters- things that didn't belong even in his office. The securest place in the world. Not even there. But it was still work, and it still had to be done.

He'd finished most of it but now his eyes were growing weak. It was a shame that he couldn't power through it like most everything else. Coming home also had its advantages though, one of which he was currently staring down as if it was a person challenging him to battle.

No one knew of Kaiba's bad little habit of taking awfully dangerous joyrides on motorcycles. As it was, such a secret, he only had one. One was all he really needed. It was a shame that he couldn't customize it. If he didn't need to be incognito on the streets he would have worked tireless days and nights to fix it up, to make it look even better than it already did. And of course, even needing his little rides to stay secret, that didn't mean that he had left it completely untouched. If anyone ever caught him he'd produce blueprints for a new dueling system he'd been tinkering with for two years now. But even that wasn't the real reason for him being there, standing in front of the small machine, now.

He couldn't focus. Nothing centered his mind more than feeling so in control and yet on the precipice of danger. Nothing seemed to embody that ideal better than his motorcycle. His jet, maybe, came very close, but prep time for that took entirely too long.

He slipped into tight black pants, a black long sleeved shirt, and a black jacket. Leather gloves were pulled over his hands before he reached for his helmet. This at least was customized, but only in the way that the visor was completely black. No one would be able to see inside, see his eyes, be able to tell that it was his face he was hiding; whereas he could see everything completely. It was unpatented material but it suited him just fine.

The kickstand was removed and he swung one leg over the body before settling onto the machine. A smirk curved on his lips before he kicked the machine into life and revved the powerful engine, creating a loud echo throughout the private garage. He suddenly felt on edge, adrenaline pumping into him even though he hadn't moved quite yet. It only took him another second before he was ripping out of the garage and onto the pavement.

Elsewhere, far away in the outskirts of the city, two young men were staring each other down.

"You don't trust me?"

"It's not that! I don't … like … _those_."

Malik smiled, leaning back on the motorcycle he'd been detailing and finishing up for at least the last three months. He had wanted to take his friend on a ride but it seemed like that plan was falling apart very quickly. He laid the helmet back against the seat as he continued watching the other.

"I promise you it's safe." He tried.

Ryou turned his head away, frowning softly. It wasn't as if he was purposely out to hurt his friend's feelings or turn him down to be cruel. He just didn't like the idea of anything he couldn't control. He had a lot of things to thank for that, but now that it was just him, the only things he liked felt the safest to him. Things he could get his hands on, and things he knew he had a say in. Roaring around the streets of Domino on the back of that nasty looking machine didn't exactly feel like the safest ideal in the world to him.

"And I believe you." He did, mostly. Malik wouldn't hurt him, that much had been established over a slow growing relationship. "But I still don't like it."

Malik tipped his head up. "That's my own sweat and blood you're mocking, you know."

A sigh escaped his lungs. "What's the slowest it goes?" He was starting to get the feeling that he wasn't going to escape going on at least one ride. Plans had to be made.

"What's the point of taking it for a drive if we go as slow as possible?" The blond grinned.

Ryou's lips pursed. "If you want me on that, that should be point enough."

The taller of the two stepped forward, putting a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "Fine." He conceded, though strangely didn't look too harmed about it. "We'll go slow."

And with that he tossed the helmet to Ryou. The item was fumbled before gripped and pulled to him and he sighed yet again. He had a bad feeling about this, a very bad feeling. But he just had to trust Malik on this one. The helmet was slipped over his head and adjusted about five different times.

Malik on the other hand began buzzing with excitement. He disappeared into the garage to grab another helmet before hopping up on the motorcycle and waiting for Ryou to get on behind. The engine was revved to life before Ryou finally settled on behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist a little tighter than was necessary.

The kickoff wasn't terrible, and it seemed Malik was staying true to his word. They teetered around the block at a completely unimpressive speed. Children walked by them faster, and it riled Malik's sense of accomplishment. This machine shouldn't have been going that slow. Once they hit the corner and were back at the garage he kicked the engine into gear again.

"Okay, we went slow. _Now_!"

It was the only warning he gave Ryou before he took off down the street as fast as he could push the bike to go. Ryou's cries, of course, weren't able to be heard over the howl of the machine.

Eventually Ryou settled back, even with the intense speed, growing used to it after only a little while. Malik was pleasantly surprised at how well the other seemed to adapt (even if his arms were still wrapped very tightly around). It only bolstered him into making his bike go faster and faster until he could barely tell what was going on around him. The world became a blur, and that's the way he liked it.

Unfortunately they got caught up at a stoplight, Malik slowing the bike before stopping completely. "You alright?" He called back.

"Yes!" Ryou said quickly, actually slightly content even after all the whining he'd done.

The sound of a quick approaching second bike had both men turning back in their seats. A sleek black motorcycle with a similarly dressed rider upon it pulled up to them. They both looked at the other cyclist in slight amazement- Malik at the bike, Ryou at the person sitting on it.

"Whoa." Malik couldn't help but say. The bike was in mint condition, the paint not even chipped. It looked like it had slight custom work done on it, too.

Kaiba looked over at the two, smirking underneath his helmet at their gaping mouths. If they thought that was impressive…

He revved the engine three times. Malik tensed. Ryou noticed.

"What's wrong?"

"He wants to race." Malik tried to say quietly back to the other.

Ryou was already shaking his head. "No. No we are not!"

Malik's shoulders rolled back. "Come on. It'll be fun."

"No!" He tried to protest, but it was already too late.

The light turned green once more and Kaiba took off at breakneck speed. His engine had already been pushed to its limits the entire ride, but he was quite sure he could overtake these two idiots and go off into the distance while they were still marveling.

Malik growled to himself, realizing already that he probably wasn't going to win this. That bike alongside them was expensive indeed, and the engine must have been top of the line. His wasn't as great or as fancy but in that moment he resolved himself to winning. Even if he knew it would destroy his bike and he'd be back in the garage for another three months fixing it… he just had to do it.

Ryou, on the other hand, was not excited about this in the slightest, and was already back to clutching Malik tightly. If he thought he could be heard he might have yelled at the other, but over the sound of the two roaring engines, he was sure it was probably better not to waste the energy. Instead he focused on quietly but strongly willing Malik on. They could win, right?

Around a sharp corner Malik nearly toppled over whereas Kaiba was able to crush it with amazing grace. It left the lesser of the two wobbling and losing speed. If Ryou hadn't been with him, Malik would have given in to that corner as sharply as possible and kept on going. But with Ryou here… even if his pride was on the line here, his hard work in this bike, he wouldn't risk his friend. And Ryou was silently thankful for it.

It was all the edge Kaiba needed, throwing wind to another dangerous corner, not terrified in the slightest as he neared the ground so closely. From there the road took off into a long straight away- and there he excelled too. Even if Malik thought he could have made up ground, Kaiba took off quicker than he was able to keep up with. For a moment he thought he could see a cruel smirk from behind the visor of the other driver directed back at him, but he was sure it was just his imagination.

Kaiba took off down the road, leaving the two in his dust, and feeling all the better for it. Now he could get home and focus. Even if it wasn't that much of a victory beating two losers, it had given him just the rush he needed. Battle always did.

As the two watched the driver in black take off into the distance, Malik slowed, his engine sputtering and complaining before giving out completely. The Egyptian leaned back against Ryou with a defeated sigh.

"Well now we can go really slow." Now that they'd probably have to walk back to the garage from here.

Ryou removed his helmet, shaking out his snowy hair before smiling down at his friend. "I'm quite alright with that." A smaller smile was directed at him. "You did great."

"Next time. …I'll be ready for him next time."


End file.
